THE TIM BUNKER PAPERS. 55 



in drills, and found that the cane gave the most fodder, 

 and that the cows would eat it the quickest. He says 

 there is almost no end to the amount of stock a man can 

 summer, if he will only sow corn or sorghum. He thinks 

 he gets a quarter more milk from his cows for this daily 

 fodder. He feeds only at noon, every day. He thinks 

 this is the best time, because the cows have all the morn 

 ing to eat grass, and then the new kind of food offered at 

 noon induces them to eat more. The more food you can 

 induce a cow to eat and digest, the more milk you will 

 get, and the more profit you will find in keeping her. 

 This is one of his maxims, and I guess he is right. His 

 stock is a mixture of grade Devons and grade Durhams. 

 He averages about three hundred pounds of cheese to the 

 cow, every year. 



Another of Uncle Philip s experiments is reclaiming a 

 sand barren. He had about six acres of such poor sandy 

 land that nothing would grow on it. It was not worth 

 the taxes paid on it. He has put on muck and stable 

 manure in such quantities that it will now yield forty 

 bushels of corn to the acre. I find he has a great idea of 

 muck, as all the farmers have in this region. 



In-doors, Uncle Philip s wife manages things quite as 

 well as he does upon the farm. The butter and cheese 

 are well made, and the house is well kept. I wish the 

 Tribune man, that told such stories about country cook 

 ing, could have set at her table for a week, as we did. 

 The coffee and tea were enough sight better than I ever 

 found in your city, and the bread, meat, and vegetables, 

 were all that an epicure could desire. 



I had no idea, when I stopped writing, that so many of 

 your city folks was a going to follow my example, and 

 suspend. I shall have to be more careful of my conduct. 

 Yours to command, 



TIMOTHY BUNKER, ESQ. 



HooJcertown, October 15th, 1857. 



